Black males and school counselors: Do they experience the culture in counseling programs and departments differently from Black females?

Abstract

This study examined the effects of school counseling college‐going culture (SCCGC) on Black male students’ college outcomes using a sample from the High School Longitudinal Study, and whether these effects differed for males versus females. Regression analyses revealed that different aspects of SCCGC were more salient for Black males compared to Black females. For example, counselor expectations appeared more important for males and school connectedness for females suggesting the dangers of a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to college going.

The Postsecondary Future Selves of Black and Latinx Boys: A Case for Cultivating More Expansive Supports in College-Going Schools

“…When analyzing the effectiveness of college-going cultures, two issues emerge. First, while these cultures support students to see themselves as potential collegians, schools that overwhelm students with college messaging may obscure the nuanced ways students interpret college-going information and apply it in their decision-making (Bryan et al, 2023; Gast, 2022; Martinez et al, 2020). Hence, college-going cultures are starting points for widening students’ ambitions, not definitive solutions to the challenges some youth face in determining future pathways.…”

“…Importantly, relationships between students and counselors matter tremendously in determining college-going pathways, especially for boys (Bryan et al, 2023). However, counselors cannot be the only ones tasked with cultivating students' futures.…”